Although the motives of the shooter in Wisconsin this morning are not yet clear, there is a bloody history of violence towards Sikhs in the United States since 9/11. Sikhism is a peaceful religion and its primary principles include equality and justice...

Sunday August 5, 2012, 9:21 pm
We'll see. Obviously, this kind of violence is the result of insanity! It would be a shame if this was the act of someone "aiming" for a Muslim but unable to differentiate between Muslims and Sikhs.

Monday August 6, 2012, 12:29 am
Sikhs wear turbans, always -- they are REQUIRED to by their religion -- and have beards. They FIT THE STEREOTYPE of what a "Muslim" is supposed to look like. [Muslims in modern society generally don't dress in medieval ways -- of course every Muslim culture is different! But the Christian Muslim-haters make NO ALLOWANCES FOR DIFFERENCES AT ALL.]

THEREFORE, Sikhs FITTING THE STEREOTYPE Christians are taught "Muslims" look like, VERY OFTEN GET MISTAKEN FOR MUSLIMS AND GET THE BRUNT OF VIOLENCE THAT IS REALLY MEANT FOR MUSLIMS.

It is not about THEIR religion, at all! JUST ABOUT THE WAY THEY LOOK.

After 9/11, for example, there were OUTBREAKS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST SIKH CAB DRIVERS. These were very visible guys in TURBANS. A real Muslim wearing a cap or even the kind of "beanie" some of them wear, is simply less a "target" in the PERVERTED AND IGNORANT MINDS OF THE BIGOTS. Not that "real" Muslims are deserving of their hate and hateful actions, either!

Monday August 6, 2012, 8:12 pm
What we need to see now is an outpouring of sympathy and support from Americans from all faiths and all colors. We need to heal these horrible wounds so we can be stronger and wiser as a people and as individuals.

Monday August 6, 2012, 8:25 pm
What we need now is for the extremists on the far right to stop inciting others with their hate filled rhetoric about the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic conspiracies that just don't exist.

" ... According to the Southern Poverty Law Center: Page told the website that he had been a part of the white power music scene since 2000, when he left his native Colorado on a motorcycle. He attended white power concerts in Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Colorado. At various times, he said, he also played in the hate rock bands Youngland (2001-2003), Celtic Warrior, Radikahl, Max Resist, Intimidation One, Aggressive Force and Blue Eyed Devils. End Apathy, he said, included “Brent” on bass and “Ozzie” on drums; the men were former members of Definite Hate and another band, 13 Knots. ..."

It was obvious, i think, that this was a hate crime. No one attacking a group as such & a group so tragically & visibly marked as 'different' could be acting for any other motive.

Someone -or the media- will now come out with the 'need to condemn violence whether from the radical right or the radical left' but where is the left-wing violence? As far as I can see, the only violence is extreme right-wing violence.

The FBI is refering to him as a 'domestic terrorist' & looking for a possible accomplice, according to author Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, an associate editor at AlterNet, who promises updates.

Tuesday August 7, 2012, 3:15 am
Immigrant plight! We have the same bigotry and ignorance in Israel with regard to smaller ethnic groups, and there is a lot of violence surrounding it. These brutal criminals must be punished.

Tuesday August 7, 2012, 6:33 am
Here is a chant to honor the Sikhs shot in the temple.
How can people who believe this be a danger?

Ek Omkar Satnam

Ek Omkar Omkar (God is One)
Satnam (His name is True)
Kartapurakh (He is the Creator)
Nirbhau (He is without fear)
Nirvair (He is inimical to none)
Akaal Murat (He never dies)
Ajooni (He is beyond births and deaths)
Saibhang ( He is self illuminated)
Gurprasaad (He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru)
Jap (Repeat His Name)
Aad sach (He is True in the beginning, before the anything universe existed)
Jugaad sach (He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True)
Hai bhi sach (He is also True now)
Nanak hosi bhi sach. (Satguru Nanak says that he will be certainly True in the future.)

Tuesday August 7, 2012, 7:55 am
ignorance is so often the grounds for bigotry and hate crimes--part of why colleges and other educational institutions (like those in AZ) have ethnic studies curriculae and courses because such knowledge and understanding is foundational to civic responsibilities.

Tuesday August 7, 2012, 9:06 am
Because the Sikh community is so quiet and insular people don't know how peaceful they are, It's tragic that just because they dress differently they are seen as a threat.

One of my doctors is Sikh, a kinder more gentle and honest man, one could not hope to meet. For those in Wisconsin, I have mailed a note stating my own humiliation that the United States, a country based on tolerance and freedoms, breeds these despicable, contemptible excuse for human flesh. I beg they do not think we are all of this mind set.

I don't care if this ass was aiming for Muslims, how the hell is that an excuse for this? This is about hate, random hate for anyone not of this oddity of Neo-Nazi, their belief is Christianity is a twisted as following the dishonorable and disgraceful idea of the Nazis. This is not insanity it is a choice, one can chose to turn away from this thinking or one can join.

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Sikhs are expected to embody the qualities of a "Saint-Sipāhī"—a saint-soldier. One must have control over one's internal vices and be able to be constantly immersed in virtues clarified in the Guru Granth Sahib.

The principal beliefs of Sikhi are faith in Waheguru—represented by the phrase ik ōaṅkār, meaning one God, along with a praxis in which the Sikh is enjoined to engage in social reform through the pursuit of justice for all human beings. Sikhi advocates the pursuit of salvation in a social context through the congregational practice of meditation on the name and message of God. The followers of Sikhi are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the Gurū Granth Sāhib Ji, which, along with the writings of six of the ten Sikh Gurus, includes selected works of many devotees from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth guru, conferred the leadership of the Sikh community to the Gurū Granth Sāhib and the corporate body of the Khālsā Panth (the Granth and the Panth). Sikhi's traditions and teachings are associated with the history, society and culture of Punjab. Adherents of Sikhī are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and number over 30 million across the world.
**** From Wiki

Tuesday August 7, 2012, 2:56 pm
Northern New Mexico has a very large Sikh population and I must admit that having been around them for so many years I was completely dumbfounded by the attack on them and the many things I have read recently. What good, kind, and gentle people! Of course hate and intolerance have no logic.